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Fly-In-Fly-Out Family
Jason and Tai Makai are from Ipswich, Australia. They have been married for 24 years and have four sons and two daughters. Jason works as a fly-in-fly-out worker, which means that he often works away from home for long periods of time. Despite Jason having to work away from home, the Makai family has found ways to stay connected as a family and to stay strong in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Makai Family
My husband, Jason, has been working in the mining construction industry as a fly-in-fly-out worker for about 12 years. When Jason started this job, I was working full-time, and we had four young children. With Jason’s working away and my working full-time, I struggled to look after the kids, keep the house in order, and get the kids to church on my own.
We discussed if I should continue working or stay home with the kids. I worried about fulfilling my role as a wife and a mother, but I also worried about how leaving work would affect our family. Not knowing what to do, I got down on my knees and I prayed to Heavenly Father, “I actually need help because I can’t do this by myself.”
I decided to step away from work, but the Lord made sure that we were taken care of. So many people came to my aid to help around the house and with the kids. The Lord was always there in my struggles, hastening His angels who strengthened me.
Staying Connected
Because Jason is away from home a lot, we have gotten creative with how we stay connected as a family and how we all stay connected to the gospel.
Jason often works in remote locations. When we can get a good connection, Jason will call to catch up with the kids and participate in our home evenings. When his connection is bad, we send him a text to let him know what we are discussing for home evening. We send each other quotes or scriptures throughout the week as we find things we are inspired by.
Jason often listens to the scriptures or general conference talks during his down time on the job site. If there are other members of the Church on the job site, they will often hold their own home evening or discuss their studies in Come, Follow Me together.
When Jason is home, we always spend time together as a family. Jason and I also go to the temple at least one day during his time off. We have so many family members that need their work done in the temple, and this has been an awesome way for us to work in the temple and to spend time together.
The Lord Loves Effort
One thing that I have learned over the years is that the Lord loves effort, and effort brings rewards. If we keep practicing, keep progressing, and strive to follow Him, we can receive His heavenly help. He doesn’t expect perfection today. But as times pass, such effort brings eternal results. Who wouldn’t want that?
Though my parents were not members of the Church, and I was baptized later in my life, I learned this principle early on. My dad always used to say to us, if you put the Lord first, everything will fall into place.
God is real, and He loves us. He knows us and we have the potential to become more like Him. I am grateful that I can pursue that goal. I know that God is our Father and Jesus is the Christ. They love us all so much, and they will help us in our struggles.